CELEBRATING LANCASTER COUNTY'S PEOPLE, SCENERY,

HERITAGE, STYLE & POINT OF VIEW SINCE 1987.

Remedying the Winter Woes

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I may be in the minority, but I enjoy winter. The tranquility of fresh fallen snow, the wonder of exploring my favorite trails in their winter form and the coziness of coming in from the cold make it an enjoyable season for me. However, once February arrives, I do begin to get antsy for the day when the snow will melt and the crocuses will peek up through the ground again. Despite being the shortest month, February always seems to drag on. While the winter endures, I find that it helps when I fill my days focusing on events to look forward to, food that warms my soul and trying new things.

Winter Happenings

1. Eat ice cream in the winter. National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day is on February 5 and creameries across the county are ready to celebrate. Hinkle’s Restaurant, Miesse Candies & Ice Cream, Splits & Giggles, Fox Meadows Creamery, Oregon Dairy, Lickity Split, Lancaster Sweet Shoppe and Good Life Ice Cream & Treats will all be celebrating the occasion.

2. Get some fresh air. Lancaster County is home to endless opportunities for exploring the outdoors, from the many nature preserves and parks to the interesting programs hosted by the Parks & Recreation Department. Upcoming programs include full moon walks (February 16 and March 18), a Cabin Fever Hike (February 5), a Snowflake Science program (February 7), a Native American Winters program (February 17) and Maple Sugaring (February 26-27 and March 6). For an Indiana Jones-style experience, Uncharted Lancaster’s Adam Zurn curates adventures where “National Treasure meets local history.” Choose your own self-guided adventure from his website or you can join Adam for a group hike at Shenks Ferry on March 12 & 13 or at the Tunnels of Enola on March 26 & 27.

Lititz Fire & Ice Festival. Photo by Seth Dochter.

3. Attend the Lititz Fire & Ice Festival. This year, the festival will span from February 18-27 and will feature ice sculptures, downtown restaurants and food trucks, shopping, a photography exhibit and a themed pub crawl. Also new this year, the festival will feature a kid-focused day on February 21 and a special maker’s market on February 24.

4. Art + Coffee Crawl. Explore Downtown Lancaster’s art galleries on February 12 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. to experience a wide range of art, coffee and sweets unique to the city.

5. Support the Black community. February is Black History Month. Crispus Attucks Community Center will host a variety of events throughout the month, including Soulful Thursdays, Taste of Africa Cooking Workshops and a Black Fashion Show on February 26. The community center will also showcase Keisha Finnie’s Say Their Names collage in the front of the building. During February, The Arts @ MU will host an exhibit at The Ware Center, titled The Road to Freedom Takes Many Paths, which combines photographs, illustrations and maps depicting the Underground Railroad in Southeastern Pennsylvania. On February 26, The Ware Center will also host Speak to My Soul: A Montage of Voices, which uses spoken word, song and dance to voice the stories of the collective Black experience in America. You can also show your support by shopping or dining at Black-owned businesses and donating to organizations that are Black-led or directly serve the Black community.

6. Taste the flavors of the season. Grab a warm drink from one of Lancaster’s many coffee shops; some of which feature unique winter specials. You can try a salted honeycomb steamer or a peppermint chai at Copper Cup. Square One Coffee is offering a Rosemary Espresso Tonic and Milanese Hot Chocolate. Café One Eight also has a selection of winter drink specials, including a Blackberry Thyme Latte and Rose White Mocha Latte.

7. Refresh your New Year’s resolutions. Research shows 80% of people abandon their New Year’s resolutions by February. As the inspiration of the New Year fades, try to revisit your resolutions to see which may be unreasonable or unimportant. Maybe pick one to focus on, so you don’t get overwhelmed.

Hand-in-Hand Fire Company’s Chicken Pot Pie. Photo by Jordan Bush.

8. Enjoy a hearty bowl of soup. Nothing is quite as cozy as a bowl of homemade soup on a cold winter day. Don’t feel like cooking? Hand-in-Hand Fire Company’s legendary Chicken Pot Pie Dinner will be held on February 26. Sit down and eat or get take-out through their drive through.

9. Take care of your health. While trying to evade Covid, many of us have neglected certain areas of our health by avoiding doctor’s offices. Take care of yourself and schedule those important appointments you have been putting off, especially since many offices have wait lists that can push appointments out for months.

10. Spread the love. Whether you want to celebrate Galentine’s, Palentine’s or Valentine’s Day, there are plenty of ways to show your love to the special people in your life. You could send out old-school valentine cards, have a dinner party or go out to a local studio for a painting or crafting activity. Many local restaurants are offering special Valentine’s Day menus. Don’t forget to show yourself some love with a bouquet of flowers or your favorite sweet treat!

11. Enjoy wine and music at Nissley Vineyards. Every Saturday during the month of February, visitors can enjoy Fire & Spice at Nissley, featuring live music, wine tastings, a seasonal cocktail and snacks from 12:30-3:30 p.m. Heated outdoor and indoor seating is available.

12. Explore the beauty of winter at Longwood Gardens. The garden’s Winter Wonder exhibit will be open until March 27. Stroll through 400 acres of winter’s beauty featuring blooming witch hazel and winter grasses. Indoors, find hundreds of orchids in bloom, vibrant floating baskets and colorful beds of flowers.

Holy Trinity’s famous fasnachts. Photo by Jordan Bush.

13. Fasnacht Day is March 1! Lancaster County has no shortage of options for finding the delicious Pennsylvania Dutch treat. After a hiatus in 2021, Holy Trinity Catholic Church’s famous fasnachts are back! They will be accepting orders for February 28-March 2. You can also find fasnachts at just about every grocery store in the area, as well as Oregon Dairy, Central Market, Root’s Country Market and bakeries such as Achenbach’s Pastries, Byers Butterflake Bakery, The Bake Shoppe at Country Table and Bird-in-Hand Bakery.

14. Groundhog Day. Will we see an early spring or six more weeks of winter? We’ll find out on February 2 when Punxsutawney Phil makes his prognostication from Gobbler’s Knob. Some other notable groundhogs will make their own predictions in the Lancaster area. Mount Joy Minnie will make her prediction at the Rotary Clock at 7 a.m. on Groundhog Day. Poppy the Groundhog from Acorn Acres Wildlife Rehabilitation will make her prediction at 11 a.m. and will host a scavenger hunt from February 2-6, in downtown locations including Ville & Rue, Lancaster Rec, Blossom Med Spa, Miesse Candies & Ice Cream and Zoetropolis Cinema Stillhouse.

15. Dance. Mulberry Art Studios hosts a blues dance on the third Monday of each month (February 21 and March 21). The dance begins at 7:30 p.m. after a brief dance lesson at 7. You can also join groups on Facebook that hold monthly dance sessions, such as Swing Station which hosts dances every second and fourth Saturdays.

Bird migration at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area.

16. Birdwatch. Each year around late winter, tens of thousands of waterfowl, including snow geese, tundra swans and Canada geese, migrate north and make a stop at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area. Bird numbers usually peak in February or March, depending on when the lake unfreezes.

17. Super Bowl festivities. The Cincinnati Bengals will face the Los Angeles Rams in this year’s Super Bowl on February 13. The halftime show will feature Mary J. Blige, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar. Even if you don’t enjoy watching football or the famous commercials, the delicious Super Bowl snacks make it all worthwhile.

18. Indulge in chocolate. Mount Joy’s Chocolate Walk and Wine Tasting will take place from February 25-26. When you buy a ticket, you receive an empty box and a list of downtown locations where you can get free chocolate goodies.

19. Pamper your pet. That Fish Place – That Pet Place will host a Love Your Pet event on February 12. Bring your furry friends to the store for grooming services, a photo booth, free treats, vendor samples and giveaways.

20. Be a backyard tourist. There’s always something new to explore in Lancaster County, from train rides through the countryside to historical tours and museums to the countless restaurants that make up our dining scene. Pick somewhere you’ve never been and explore!

 

 

Bistro-style Dining in Downtown Lancaster

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Inspired by European bistros, C’est La Vie makes its home in the heart of Downtown Lancaster – across the alley from Central Market in the Hager Arcade. Here, you’ll find a casually elegant atmosphere and a menu that puts the accent on artisanal French food. 

Boeuf Bourguignon: roast beef, onions, carrots, mushrooms, cavatappi pasta, red wine and demi.

C’est La Vie, which opened in 2019, and its sister restaurant, Josephine’s Downtown, are owned by Dean Oberholtzer, Daniel LeBoon, who also serves as executive chef, and Justin Ang, who is C’est La Vie’s manager. If the names sound familiar, Dean is the owner of The Belvedere Inn, while Chef LeBoon is its executive chef. 

Prior to opening, the owners spent three months remodeling and updating the dining areas and kitchen of the former Carr’s Restaurant. Olga Lembesis, an interior designer based in Hershey, assisted in creating C’est La Vie’s French-inspired décor that includes antique French farm tables that she and Dean bought at an auction and repurposed to serve as high-top tables for the restaurant’s bar area. Artwork also has a French theme – Moulin Rouge – and is the basis of the restaurant’s vibrant color scheme. 

An expanse of windows admits natural light and provides diners with a view of street activity, whose tempo increases on market days. Those large windows also multitask – they function as patio doors that open to offer outdoor sidewalk dining for about 60 people. Retractable awnings and patio umbrellas offer shade, while patio heaters provide warmth over the winter. “The outdoor area gives people an option for dining. We realize that some people are still not comfortable dining indoors,” Dean notes. 

Tellstar Tuna Poke: dragon fruit, mango, rice, tuna, cucumber, edamame, braised red cabbage, sesame seeds, avocado, baby bok choy and scallions.

Seasonal creations from The Gilded Lily augment the restaurant’s décor and ambiance.  

Add in the fact that the Hager building dates to 1910 – it was designed by C. Emlen Urban in the French Renaissance Revival style and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places – and guests are afforded a unique dining experience. “The historic buildings surrounding us and the pavers on the street combine with our atmosphere to make you feel like you’re in a bistro in a European town,” Justin remarks. “Our guests have said they feel like they’re on vacation when they come here.” He adds that some guests have a favorite table, which they request when making a reservation. 

As for the menu, Dean points out that C’est La Vie’s menu is “more casual than Josephine’s. You can get pizza, sandwiches or a great entrée here. It’s a great place to enjoy a meal with friends or meet for a business lunch.” 

Despite the emphasis on casual fare, Chef LeBoon describes the menu as having a European or French flair, as well as a Lancaster connection through fresh, local ingredients that are used to create menu items. “We shop at Central Market,” Chef LeBoon remarks. “We offer a Central Market pizza; it’s done in our brick oven and features fresh toppings, so it varies from day-to-day,” he explains.

Moulin Rouge-inspired artwork sets the tone for the restaurant’s color scheme.

Customer favorites include boeuf bourguignon, coquille Saint Jacques (sea scallops, mushrooms, cream and gruyere cheese), and the French dip sandwich, which is made with short rib that’s braised for four hours and then is hand-cut and topped with provolone and a tomato relish on a brioche roll and served with classic French au jus for dipping. Other French-inspired dishes include coq au vin (frenched chicken breast) and venison chops that are prepared with a blueberry-port reduction. 

For crab cake lovers, the menu offers Chef LeBoon’s signature version. Trending on the menu is a pizza whose ingredients include figs, balsamic, goat and bacio cheeses and arugula. 

Roasted Beet Salad

Desserts and breads (except for the brioche for the French dip) are crafted by pastry chef Renaud Besnard, whose lemon and raspberry macaron is a popular dessert choice. For chocolate lovers, the menu includes chocolate decadence and vanilla & chocolate fudge cake.   

As for the selections from the bar, specialty cocktails are named in homage to some well-known landmarks in Lancaster, including Central Market and Penn Square, as well as a number of city streets. That’s Life (the English translation for C’est La Vie) is made from house-made cranberry compote, Stoli orange, triple sec and cranberry juice. Craft beer (from a number of local brewers) and wine are also available.     

Guests can be assured there will be something special in store for Valentine’s Day at C’est La Vie. Surf & turf is one idea Chef LeBoon is entertaining. Special desserts will also be on the menu.

The bar’s beverage menu includes specialty cocktails, wine and craft beer.

With theaters and music venues reopening, C’est La Vie is the perfect spot for dining before events at the Fulton Theatre or the Ware Center, which are located about a half-block away. “We also have guests coming in after the shows for drinks, appetizers or dessert,” Dean notes. 

C’est La Vie is located at 18 North Market Street in Lancaster. Hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Reservations are suggested and can be made by calling the restaurant, visiting the website or on OpenTable. Call 717-299-7319 or visit clvlancaster.com, Facebook and Instagram. 

Kim Lemon Looks to the Future

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After signing off as the senior anchor at WGAL on November 24, Kim Lemon left behind a legacy that probably won’t be matched in the decades to come, if ever. Having worked at the same television station for 42 years – in her hometown, no less – is a rarity in a very competitive industry that sees talent come and go. 

Kim envisions a future that could conceivably include mentoring budding journalists, teaching, writing, public speaking and being an advocate for caregivers.

When it comes to “news,” Lancaster is a small town. News, leaks, gossip – whatever you want to call it – can spread like wildfire. The fact that Kim was able to keep her plans private for months and announce her retirement on her own terms might qualify as her final accomplishment behind the news desk. “I started thinking about it early last year,” she says. “It was time. After 42 years, I had done it and done it well. I had done my best and hopefully made a difference – that’s all anyone can ask for at the end of their career.” 

In March 2021, she sat down with WGAL’s news director, Eric Nazarenus, and delivered her news. Then, she went back to work. Mum was the word. “I didn’t tell anyone else,” she says.

Not wanting to make a “production” out of her impending retirement, Kim began to contemplate how she would announce the news to the public. She chose to do so on November 5 via social media and at the end of the 6 p.m. newscast. “I just didn’t want it to drag on and on,” she says of the three-week window she created between announcing her plans and signing off for a final time. Saying that it took the Susquehanna Valley by surprise would be an understatement. 

She also made her announcement in style. “I had this image in my mind as to how I’d do it,” she explains. “I love the color turquoise, so I’d wear that in the picture that I’d post to Facebook.” 

It just so happens that one of her favorite pieces of clothing is a sparkling turquoise pantsuit. “That’s what I wanted to wear,” she says. Then, she thought of just going for it and staging a full-blown photo shoot with Downtown Lancaster as her backdrop. She turned to Nick Gould, a photographer she has worked with over the years. “Nick really got what I wanted to do,” she says. “He really got into it and suggested we do some shots at The Exchange.” Kim also happened to bring a very special gift with her to the photo shoot – a gold and turquoise Versace bathrobe that her friend and former colleague, Jennifer Gilbert, had given her. “We’re up at The Exchange and the next thing I know, Nick is telling me to put on the bathrobe,” she recounts. “We just had so much fun!”  

Friend and former colleague, Jennifer Gilbert, who recently retired from the FOX station in Baltimore, gifted Kim with the turquoise-and-gold Versace robe that she wore for the photo shoot.

In the weeks leading up to November 24 – her last night on the air – the station presented montages of Kim’s work, with Matt Barcaro, Susan Shapiro, Lori Burkholder and other colleagues coming up with their own tributes. “The send-off pieces were just beautiful,” she says. Sportscaster Mike Hostetler jokingly lamented at the end of his sportscast that he’ll have to find a new source for NASCAR predictions. 

After she signed off, Kim left the building, only to be greeted by such former colleagues as Dick Hoxworth and Jim Sinkovitz, as well as anchors and reporters from WGAL’s various newscasts. “We all went back to my house for a party – I have the most beautiful garage,” she says of having created a space that has allowed her to safely visit with friends during the pandemic. 

Looking Back 

Prior to the 1970s, television news was dominated by men, both on the local level and at the networks. Yes, there were groundbreakers (the concept of the glass ceiling came into vogue in 1984) such as NBC’s Barbara Walters and Nancy Dickerson, but on the local level, ground still needed to be broken. 

Still, Kim had role models and mentors, including her mother, Shirley, who was a second-grade teacher. She also points to James Siglin, who advised the students who made morning announcements at Manheim Township Middle School via closed-circuit television. Kim, who began reading the morning announcements in seventh grade, was one of those students. “He sent me the most beautiful note,” Kim says of the congratulatory message she received from her former adviser upon her retirement. 

Kim purposely chose to retire on November 24, which fell a day ahead of one of her favorite holidays, Thanksgiving. During her sign-off, she thanked family, friends, colleagues, behind-the-scenes personnel and viewers for the support they had provided during her 42-year tenure at WGAL.

Kim can probably attribute her trajectory into television news to two other women: Marijane Landis and Betty Friedan. Landis, who was born in Lancaster and performed in local theatre, was recruited by WGAL in 1952 to host the station’s female-oriented programming. She proved to be both a groundbreaker and a star at multitasking: Landis wrote, produced and appeared in commercials, did voice-over work and hosted game, talk, cooking and variety shows. She was one of the station’s original “Weather Girls.” In the ’50s and ’60s, Baby Boomers started their Saturdays by watching Percy Platypus & Friends, which Landis hosted until it went off the air in 1974. She hosted the show’s successor, Sunshine Corners, until 1979. She also took on a new role in 1978: community services manager and personnel director. Landis retired in 1993. Her career at WGAL spanned 41 years. 

Kim graduated from Manheim Township High School in 1975. She went on to further her education at Clarion University, where she was initially an education major but later switched to English and theatre arts. “Journalism majors didn’t even exist then,” she says. Upon graduating, she worked in public relations for the Warwick School District. 

Still, the lure of a newsroom continued to tempt Kim. 

Kim ultimately contacted Marijane Landis and basically asked if she could pick her brain. “We had a wonderful meeting,” Kim recalls. “She was impressed that by going in a public relations direction, I was able to learn a new skill.” Unfortunately, Landis had to tell her no openings existed at the station. “However, as I was leaving, Marijane told me, ‘I will remember you.’” 

Landis kept her promise – thanks in part to Betty Friedan and the National Organization for Women (NOW). “WGAL was being sued by NOW,” Kim explains. Beginning in 1970, lawsuits against media outlets – television and radio stations, newspapers and magazines – began to shed light on the the fact that women were being discriminated against in media workplaces. “WGAL had to hire more women and Marijane called me,” Kim says. The callback resulted in an interview with program manager Nelson Sears. The interview process included putting Kim on camera for one-and-one-half minutes and having her talk about herself. “That was a little scary, but I got through it,” she recalls. 

During her 42-year career, Kim was the recipient of 12 Mid-Atlantic Emmy awards.

Kim joined WGAL in 1979. She launched her television career by doing the Sunday night weather (replacing Marijane) and reporting/anchoring the Early Bird News Tuesday through Friday. “I was working six days a week and making $180,” she shares. 

Nine months later, Sears approached her with a new assignment – co-host of PM Magazine, a syndicated magazine-format show that was localized through having co-hosts in each market. “Those were the most magical years of my career,” Kim says of hosting the show with Josh Hooper. “For some reason, everyone thinks I co-anchored with Doug Allen,” she says. “We did a lot of assignments together, but we never co-hosted PM Magazine.” Stories took Kim and Josh all over the world, including Greece, Israel, Turkey, Egypt, Finland, Mexico, Brazil and the United Kingdom, among other destinations. 

PM Magazine helped to launch the careers of newspeople and entertainers such as Matt Lauer (Today), Tom Bergeron (Dancing with the Stars), Nancy Glass (CEO of Glass Entertainment Group) and Leeza Gibbons (Entertainment Tonight). Did Kim ever dream of moving to a larger market or even one of the networks? “Oh, sure, you flirt with it at some point, but I was happy where my life and career were taking me,” she says, noting that she was always proud to be associated with WGAL. “WGAL is and has always been a very respected station in the industry,” she says. 

However, she had, in fact, been approached by another station in the market to become its weekend anchor. It just so happened that WGAL needed one, as well. “I knew PM Magazine wasn’t going to last forever, so I came up with a proposal,” she explains. “I could continue hosting PM Magazine, which required two or three days of my time, and anchor the weekend news.” The plan met with the station’s approval; Kim stayed with WGAL. 

Kim’s personal life was moving in a fulfilling direction, as well. In 1985, she married John MacIver, who owned and operated Oletowne Jewelers in Lancaster. “Marriage changed my priorities,” she says of formulating a new plan that included exiting PM Magazine and the weekend news and moving to weeknights. Once again, an opening paved the way for her to become a weeknight anchor (6 and 11 p.m.). During her tenure, Kim worked with six co-anchors including Dick Hoxworth, Keith Martin, Wayne Herman, Brad Hicks, Ron Martin (their partnership endured the longest) and Danielle Woods. In mid-December, it was announced that morning anchor, Jere Gish, would be replacing Kim at the news desk.  

Kim and John became the parents of two daughters. Megan is now attending seminary in Berkeley, California, while Morgan was living in Washington, D.C., until recently. She and her husband, who both can work remotely, purchased a house in Lancaster, so that she can be closer to her parents. Kim is grateful to have her back home, especially in view of the fact that all their lives drastically changed 15 years ago with a medical diagnosis that left them baffled. 

John, who was in his mid-50s at the time, was having health issues and was initially diagnosed with Parkinson’s. Kim decided to seek a second opinion and turned to doctors at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia. They diagnosed his condition as Lewy body dementia, which is a progressive neurological disorder that can affect movement, the thinking process, mood, memory and behavior. “I had never heard of it but I learned that it’s often misdiagnosed as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s,” Kim notes. 

Kim took an extended leave of absence early on in order to be John’s caregiver and advocate. “I was so glad I did that,” she says. Eventually, John’s needs overwhelmed the level of care Kim could provide. He now resides in the skilled-care area of a retirement community. 

In her role as an advocate, Kim founded a support group for those who are affected by the disease. While she has been open about the very personal battle she found herself waging, Kim hasn’t allowed it to define who she is. “People are very kind, but it’s a private matter that I try to avoid talking about. I didn’t want it to define me professionally. John’s memory is not compromised and he remains the most elegant man I’ve ever met. But, it’s been a crushing ordeal – unless you have lived it, you cannot grasp what it’s like. It’s been horrendous for all of us – John included. In the end, it comes down to a matter of survival.” 

It was because of John that Kim elected to work from home during much of 2020 and early 2021. Like everyone else, she assumed the situation would be short term. 

“March turned into April and before I knew it, I had been working from home for a full year,” she says. “Working from home was definitely the most stressful part of my career. In the beginning, I was actually broadcasting from my personal cell phone. Then, the tech department from WGAL came in and set up a studio in my home office that included a monitor and a camera.” 

On top of coping with the new reality, Megan arrived home from Greece in spring 2020 and quarantined in Kim’s basement for two weeks. “We couldn’t see John, either, which only added another layer to everything,” Kim remarks.  

Looking Ahead 

When I emailed Kim in early December to ask her to participate in a story, I didn’t hear back from her that day. In all honesty, I envisioned her on a tropical island somewhere sipping on a fruity drink and contemplating the future. 

That night, about 10:30, an email popped up from her. She apologized for her delayed response, explaining she had spent the day in the hospital undergoing hip replacement surgery. I was shocked! If Kim Lemon, who leads a physically active life through cycling and other activities, needs such a surgical procedure, God help the rest of us mortals! Then it occurred to me that she had taken the time – just hours after surgery – to respond! Who does that? Kim asked me to give her a week and we’d talk. Like clockwork, she called at 9 a.m. the following Wednesday and we set up a phone interview for the next day.  

Kim partnered with Nick Gould to produce the photos that would accompany the social media announcement of her retirement from WGAL.

In regards to her need for surgery, Kim figures that years of cycling had finally caught up with her and the pain she was experiencing had to be addressed. “I was doing fine until I wasn’t,” she says.  

She was amazed by the speed that hospital staff gets patients up and moving post-surgery. “I was still woozy and they were wanting me to get up, get dressed and get to physical therapy. I’ve had nail appointments take more time!” she exclaims. Morgan stayed with her for two days and then began checking in on her mother several times a day. Kim also credits her tight-knit circle of friends for getting her on the road to recovery. “I’m very fortunate to have such good friends,” she says. 

Before her surgery, Kim was able to eliminate something from her bucket list – attend the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C. “I’ve always wanted to go and this year they were honoring Joni Mitchell. I just love her. My friend and former co-worker, news anchor Mary Saladna from WCVB in Boston, was able to make it happen. I had a wonderful time!” 

She’s also become a re-certified “cat lady,” explaining that her backyard has become a magnet for homeless cats. Years ago she was the pet parent of several Maine coon cats but became a dog mom when she adopted her beloved French bulldog, Ramy, who sadly passed away last summer. Of the cats, Kim explains she and Megan began working with the Spay Neuter Assistance Program (snapofpa.org) to get them spayed/neutered, as well as find them forever homes. 

As for the future, Kim doesn’t envision herself being a lady of leisure. She wants to be engaged with the world. “There’s so much I can see myself doing,” she says. “I was teaching at Elizabethtown College and really enjoyed doing that. Students today have so many opportunities – the schools have incredible set-ups; [the studios] aren’t quite on the level as WGAL, but from a technological standpoint, they’re pretty amazing. I could see myself somehow nurturing young journalists.” She could also see herself as a public speaker or writing a book. “When it comes down to it, I consider myself to be a writer,” she says. 

Travel is also on her agenda. “I will travel eventually,” she shares, noting that Covid is her biggest reason for staying close to home. She thinks back to a pre-Covid trip she and Megan made in celebration of her 60th birthday. “We went on a safari in Africa and swam to the edge of Victoria Falls. It was amazing!” she says. 

She would also like to be an advocate for caregivers. “It’s a lonely existence,” she says. “People don’t want to talk about it. In the end, that just might be my legacy.” 

Regardless of what the future holds, Kim wants people to be happy for her. “I had a wonderful career,” she stresses. “The feelings of love and respect that I’ve received over the last few months have been overwhelming.” On a personal level, she says she has “experienced great love.” 

As she looks back, Kim treasures the fact that she was a hometown girl who reached for her dreams and achieved success both professionally and personally. “I am so grateful to have worked where I grew up,” she says. 

It wasn’t until Lancaster County was celebrating its 300th anniversary that she realized how deep her roots go. “I’m 10th generation Lancaster County on both sides of my family,” she reports, explaining that Lemon (her father, Dean, is a retired teacher and Christmas tree grower) evolved from such surnames as Leaman and Lehman, while Pickell (her mother’s maiden name) morphed from Bickel. The reckoning came courtesy of the Lancaster County Mennonite Historical Society (now known as Mennonite Life), which pitched a story idea on tracing Kim’s roots. “Turns out I’m related to 75% of the Amish population. I have a lot of Mennonite relatives, too,” she adds. 

It’s probably safe to say that even the Amish, who don’t own televisions, know who Kim Lemon is. 

On the Cover 

Nick Gould photographed Kim Lemon in Downtown Lancaster ahead of her public announcement that she would be retiring from WGAL in late November 2021. This marks Kim’s fourth Lancaster County Magazine cover, which is a record. Until this month, she was tied with The Belvedere Inn for having the most covers. 

February 2022
November 1996
November 2000
February 2009

Kim’s first cover was in November 1996. She shared a winter-weather-themed cover with WGAL colleagues Susan Shapiro and Mary Saladna (who is now based in Boston), and PennDOT’s Charles Enoch (who, at the time, was on-air as much as WGAL reporters before, during and after winter storms). 

Kim’s second cover came in November 2000, when she posed with two furry friends. Kim was always a perennial winner in our Best of Lancaster readers’ survey, having won the “Best News Anchor” category consecutively from 1990 to 2011 and again from 2013 to 2016 (which is the last time the category appeared on the survey). 

Her third cover was in February 2009, when she posed with her beloved bicycle that she rode for numerous fundraisers, including benefits sponsored by the National MS Society. One of her most memorable rides took place in 2002. Called the Face of America, the three-day ride took participants from Ground Zero in New York to The Pentagon in Washington, D.C. One of her riding partners was Dr. Mark Burlingame, whose brother, Charles, was the pilot of Flight 77 on September 11. Kim’s appearance on the 2009 cover coincided with her role as the local spokesperson for that year’s American Heart Association Red Dress Campaign. 

Kim’s three previous covers were photographed by the late Allan Holm.

Love!

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Valentine’s has always been a popular day to become engaged and even married. In fact, Thanksgiving through Valentine’s is referred to as “engagement season” in the jewelry industry. 

Kelsey captured Austin and Ali at the Merchant Exchange Building in Philadelphia.

Popping the question now entails more than sharing the news – and the ring – with friends and family. Thanks to social media, the news can now be shared with the world. Some couples do so immediately, while others wait until they have participated in an engagement photo shoot that could show them kissing in the moonlight, cavorting on a beach, embracing their dog, relaxing at a mountain cabin … the possibilities are endless. The concept has become a phenomenon; The Knot reports that 40% of engaged couples are scheduling such sessions. 

Lancaster is fortunate to have a new generation of photographers who are not only astute behind the camera but are tech savvy and understand the role social media now plays in the wedding process. Kelsey Strothers is one such photographer. The Denver-based photographer traces the roots of her career to high school, where she took a number of photography classes. Homework assignments typically focused on capturing images of inanimate objects. 

Longwood Gardens provided the backdrop for Kelsey’s photos of Mike and Erin.

Wanting to expand her horizons, Kelsey borrowed an aunt’s camera in order to document family members “just hanging out.” She so enjoyed photographing people that when it came time to tackle her senior project, Kelsey chose a wedding as her subject matter. Shadowing a wedding photographer led to a stint as a second photographer on jobs and eventually, the launch of her own business, Kelsey Renee Photography. 

Kelseyreneephotography.com 

3 Questions for Kelsey

Kelsey photographed Amanda and Chris at the Philadelphia Water Works.

#1. Describe your style as it relates to photography.

My style of photography is light and airy! I love my images to have bright whites, creamy skin tones and muted greens. Staying pretty true to color never goes out of style!

#2. What does an engagement photo shoot achieve (for the couple and the photographer) other than having commemorative photos?
For the photographer, an engagement session is the perfect time to learn the couple’s posing strengths, while simultaneously “breaking the ice” and creating a new friendship together. As for the clients, it provides them with an opportunity to learn the photographer’s posing style and how the photographer works so that on their wedding day they feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera. This also allows them to look the most natural and relaxed for their wedding photos without taking the time to learn new poses. It’s a win-win. 

#3. How important is a social media presence to your business?
When I started my business in 2011, social media was not like it is today. Social media makes it MUCH easier to grow your business, spread the word and connect with people from around the world! I love the connections I’ve made and the growth I’ve achieved because of social media!

Kelsey Strothers and her husband, Zach. Photo by Olivia Rae Photography.

The Dining Room: Back From the Brink of Extinction

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Covid has prompted homeowners to find new purposes for rooms that see little use. One of those is the dining room. Over the last two years it has served as a combination classroom, office, game/hobby room, reading nook and substitute for our favorite bars and restaurants, thus making it one of the most utilized rooms in the house. 

When their lifestyle became more adult-oriented and pivoted to entertaining friends for dinner, empty-nesters Allyson and Dean Eberly enlarged their dining room with a 16-foot addition. Dean, who names design work and woodworking as favorite hobbies, designed and built the dining table himself in spring 2020.

Two phenomenons have contributed to the dining room becoming the forgotten space in American homes. First, the open-concept floor plan, which became popular in the 1990s, made the formal dining room almost obsolete, as families preferred to gather for meals around the kitchen island or in the more casual breakfast room. Even before that, ranch-style homes helped to popularize the eat-in kitchen. Split-levels provided the first inkling of open-concept, as the living and dining rooms flowed into one another.  

Lifestyle also impacted the dining room. Our casual way of living, coupled with busy schedules, didn’t mesh with dinner in the dining room. Instead, families were eating in shifts or grabbing something on the go because of late hours at the office, sports practice, music lessons, school activities, etc. Or, worse, they planted themselves in front of the television to eat dinner. As a result, the dining room soon became a place where families gathered only for holiday dinners or special celebrations. 

Covid has helped to change our perception of the dining room and it’s becoming a hybridized version of its intended use. It seems that homeowners embraced their downtime over the last two years and, with nothing but time on their hands, began cooking up a storm. Sitting down to dinner became a pandemic phenomenon, as well, which led to setting a beautiful table becoming a favorite pastime of many cooking enthusiasts. 

Remember the family china, crystal and silver that the Millennials didn’t want any part of? According to Martha Stewart and other lifestyle gurus, they’ve changed their tune and are now fighting with their siblings over Grandma’s china or are scouring antiques stores and online sites such as replacements.com to assemble their own vintage collections. Martha is even posting tutorials on how to mix-and-match modern china with vintage and antique patterns. 

Cabinetry that’s outfitted with pull-out trays holds spirits, barware and other necessities for entertaining.

Thanks in part to those resourceful  Millennials, the look of the formal dining room has changed. Instead of resembling something akin to Buckingham Palace (which comes at a hefty price), the new dining room is infused with personality and reflects its owners’ lifestyle and interests (for example, homeowners are outfitting the rooms with built-ins to display collections that range from plants to books). 

As a result, the dining room has become a modern-day salon in which people carry on conversations, enjoy a meal and linger over a post-dinner drink or a cup of coffee. (In many households, it’s become a no-phone zone.) It’s become a gathering place for neighborhood happy hours (repurposed pieces such as a vintage secretary or a buffet/sideboard are being used to create bars). 

The dining room has also become a getaway. “Because of Covid, people saw the drawback – mainly a lack of privacy – of open-concept floor plans,” says Amy Sensenig, who is an interior designer with
TK Building & Design in Lancaster. “They want a place where they can get a moment for themselves. 

“We’ve seen a lot of interest from clients who want to create separate spaces in their homes,” Amy continues. “I don’t think the open-concept floor plan is going away, but togetherness is prompting people to think about creating getaways in their homes.” 

For many homeowners, the dining room is providing such a space. Upholstered furniture is being added to the room in order to create a quiet space where one can read or simply indulge in quietude.    

A Room to Dine For   

Ten years ago, Dean and Allyson Eberly built a home that mirrored their lifestyle – open-concept main floor that was conducive to family togetherness. The floor plan included a 12-by-12-foot dining room that was adjacent to but separate from the kitchen. “We didn’t use it very much,” says Allyson of its cozy dimensions. “In fact, we began using the finished basement as a makeshift dining room for holiday dinners.” Besides, their busy lifestyle – she’s an account rep for a wine company, he owns Garden Spot Mechanical and their then school-aged children were involved in a range of activities – didn’t mesh with sitting down to Ozzie and Harriet-style family dinners in the dining room every night. “We ate on the run a lot of nights,” Dean recalls. 

Various-sized chandeliers not only illuminate the dining room, but provide the wow factor.

Becoming empty nesters changed all that. Their new adult-focused life has pivoted to entertaining. “We really like to cook and have friends over for dinner,” Allyson notes. The size of the dining room put a damper on the number of guests they could invite, which prompted them to begin discussing how they could remedy the situation. “That was two or three years ago,” she recalls. Dean, who calls “design work” a favorite hobby, began to explore their options. Fortunately there was enough space to build an addition that would extend the dining room by 16 feet. 

Dean asked Jon Warner, who had built the house, to recommend a remodeling company for the project. Warner suggested TK Building & Design. The Eberlys contacted owner Tim Kotzmoyer and shared their vision with him. Interior designer Amy Sensenig was brought into the project. 

The Eberlys’ vision of an entertaining-friendly dining room included walls of floor-to-ceiling windows that would provide views of the surrounding woodland and farmland; a vaulted ceiling; layered lighting and a wet bar with storage. Dean was aware they were walking a fine line from a size perspective. “Bigger is not always better,” he explains, theorizing that if a dining room is too big, “you lose that sense of intimacy.” 

As Amy explains, delivering on details is what Tim specializes in. Add in Dean’s design expertise – “Dean knows what he wants,” Amy says – and she knew she was involved in a one-of-a-kind project. Work commenced in December 2019 and was completed in April 2020. 

The dining room addition adjoins the kitchen and deck and overlooks an outdoor fire pit.

Light was deemed a critical component of the addition. The layers ultimately included natural light that filters into the room during the day via the expanse of windows. Another element is uplighting that is emitted from behind the moldings. Under-cabinet lighting provides task lighting and adds to the ambiance, as well. Finally, the five various-sized, sphere-shaped chandeliers not only illuminate the room but provide a wow factor. “We looked for the right chandeliers for a long time and finally found them through Restoration Hardware,” Dean notes. 

The wet bar, which encompasses a good portion of the addition, is outfitted with custom cabinetry, a custom-stained wine rack, a sink, a wine fridge, pull-out trays and drawers that hold linens and other necessities. Quartz covers the counters and backsplash. “Having everything at hand makes setting the table very easy,” Allyson says.  

As for the farm-style table, which comfortably seats 12, that was a project undertaken by Dean. “During the lockdown, I decided I would make the table myself,” he explains. After designing the table and purchasing a Douglas fir beam from Riehl’s Construction in New Holland, he set to work, using his own techniques for adding texture to the wood. “I enjoy tackling design challenges,” he says. Woodworking is in his DNA. “My dad was a hobby woodworker,” he explains. “I learned from him. I made my first dining table when I was 19.” 

Add in comfortable chairs and the Eberlys find themselves entertaining a captive audience. “It’s become one of our favorite rooms,” says Allyson. “At Thanksgiving, we had 20 guests for dinner. Everyone stayed in the room the entire time – in previous years, we’d have dinner and then scatter to other areas of the house.” 

The connection to nature – “the scenery constantly changes,” says Allyson – also lulls guests into a state of relaxation. The Eberlys’ wooded property is a magnet for wildlife such as deer, birds and foxes. “We like to eat breakfast in the dining room on weekends,” Allyson notes. “Before we know it, a couple hours have passed!”  

The built-in wet bar provides storage space for table-setting necessities and functions as a bar when the Eberlys entertain.

The Eberlys have also discovered a new hobby that is suited to the dining room. In search of something to help his mother pass the time during the height of Covid, Dean discovered paint-by-number kits for sale on Amazon. He bought several and told friends who have senior-aged parents to purchase some, as his mother loved her new hobby. Soon, Dean and Allyson found themselves hooked, as well, and were painting away in their dining room. Dean hangs his creations in his new home office that is a repurposed bedroom. 

TK Building & Design 

Creating home offices, classrooms and other dedicated spaces is part of the reason why companies such as TK Building & Design are so busy. “With people spending so much time at home, they’re discovering they weren’t built with a pandemic in mind,” says Amy. As a result, homeowners are remodeling their homes, adding on to them and expanding them with outdoor spaces that serve a multiplicity of purposes. 

Amy remembers spending the lockdown at home, wondering if she’d have a job to go back to. Little did she know that she had nothing to worry about. When TK reopened, “We were slammed with phone calls, and it shows no signs of slowing down,” she says. “The holidays are usually slow, but in 2021, we worked right through them.” Amy, who is a graduate of the Art Institute of York, recently earned her CKBD credentials on top of maintaining an ongoing hectic schedule. 

TK Building & Design celebrated its 10th anniversary last year. Tim, whose credentials include completing the residential carpentry program at Lancaster County Career & Technology Center, worked for a custom builder for six years before he launched his own business in 2011. The company’s résumé includes such projects as Melhorn Manor in Mount Joy, Rachel’s Creperie (Downtown Lancaster and Richmond Square) and countless remodeling projects in homes across Lancaster County. 

Just recently, TK Building & Design was the recipient of six Remodeling Achievement Awards – including one for the Eberlys’ dining room – presented by the Building Industry Association of Lancaster County. In addition, Tim was also elected to serve as the association’s vice president for 2022. 

For more information, visit tkbuilddesign.com.     

Credits 

• Design/Build: TK Building & Design 

• Interior Design: Amy Sensenig, TK Building & Design 

• Chandeliers: Restoration Hardware

• Table Wood: Riehl’s Construction 

• Woodworker (Table): Dean Eberly 

The Dining Room is Good for Your Health! 

Light was essential to creating ambiance for the dining room. The layered lighting comes courtesy of the windows, the chandeliers, up-lighting (behind the moldings) and under-cabinet lighting. Panels that are subtly hidden in the peak of the ceiling dampen the noise level in the room.

Remember the good old days, when families would gather around the dining room table on a nightly basis to enjoy a home-cooked meal and discuss everything from school to the state of the world? Well, thanks to Covid, that tradition is making a comeback. Since many families are banning cell phones from the dining room, children are learning the art of conversation. They’re also learning table manners.  

Having a sit-down meal establishes an end-of-day routine that helps adults forget the stresses of the day and reintroduces children to the concept of having chores to do, i.e. setting the table, clearing it, filling the dishwasher, etc.  

Enjoying a meal in the dining room is also good for your diet. Instead of mindlessly eating in front of the television, sitting at a table promotes mindfulness. Concentrating on your meal without distractions, such as the television and a phone, can result in better digestion, etc., and set the stage for a relaxing evening. Because you leave the table feeling noticeably fuller, you might be less inclined to snack later in the evening.   

Pat’s Favorite Recipes

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I’m sure you have one of those metal recipe boxes or well-used cookbooks that belonged to your mother or grandmother stashed away somewhere. I’d encourage you to take a second look at what I discovered are unexpected heirlooms that share the language of love through food and serve up some family history.

My grandma’s recipe notebooks, cherry rolling pin and mixing bowl – displayed on her old dining table – are now heirlooms with decades of use and love attached to them.

Grandma’s Cooking

Holiday meals were established traditions at my grandma and grandpa’s house, and her cooking was legendary. She cooked grand smorgasbords made from scratch, using the Pennsylvania Dutch holy trinity of ingredients: heaps of butter, sugar and salt. Every holiday she’d set the bar high, even for herself. Once at a great aunt’s house for dinner, my little sister’s disappointment in a single dessert was manifested with, “Where’s the rest?” Thanks to Grandma, it was expected that there’d be a pie, a cake, ice cream and cracker pudding after a meal so hearty that it could warm a snowman.

Growing up, I assumed everyone’s maternal and paternal grandparents were each other’s best friends. Mine were, and on Saturday mornings, the five of us would stop at a diner on the way to the flea market in Middletown, otherwise known as “The Big M.” Those are the earliest memories I have of diner food, which to this day remains a personal favorite. 

When I moved to Louisiana in 2010, I asked my grandma to provide me with recipes for some of my favorite dishes. She would also ship me Tastykake Butterscotch Krimpets, a treat I remember having at sleepovers at her and Grandpa’s house in Mount Joy, while watching Wheel of Fortune and listening to the sounds of the Amtrak train and the ticking of the googly-eyed cat clock at night.

As an adult, I spent many late nights talking about food with Grandma over the phone. She was also a night owl and often the line was busy with her endless socializing, so I’d call at 11 p.m., when all else was quiet. She’d answer by the second ring, knowing it was me. Throughout her life, she taught me to be curious, to understand the virtues of learning everything I could and to develop as many life skills as possible.

Patricia Yvonne Mummaw

As I was their first-born grandchild, no more than a few days ever passed without seeing my grandma and grandpa, Pat and Wayne “Moe” Mummaw. December 1985.

Like so many of us, Grandma could also be complicated, and she kept her business to herself. She was stubborn and selfless to a fault, but the combination could lend itself to unthinkable examples of kindness. Once while shopping in a department store, a stranger complimented her on her earrings. On the spot, Grandma removed them and insisted she take them.

A few years ago, I remember canning quick pickles with her. It was notable for a few reasons; for starters, she presented me with a ladle. It was given to her by my great-grandmother, her ex-mother-in-law from her first marriage. It must be close to 60 years old and, for a woman who gave everything away, earrings to a stranger notwithstanding, for some reason she held onto that ladle. Apparently, there were skeletons in the closet; I’m reminded of that whenever we make homemade soup or Grandma’s chili. Her mixing bowls and cherry rolling pin live in our cupboards, with the steel worn thin from decades of use. Her heart lives on in ours.

That day, while waiting for the canner to boil, she pointed out the window and asked, “Is that Metzler Road?” I informed her that it was. “I was born on a farm on Metzler Road. I used to ride bicycle to the cottages on Turtle Hill, selling green beans and strawberries to tourists in the summer. Yeah,” she said, with a firm nod and pursed lower lip. I thought that side of our family came entirely from Greenbank and New Holland, so that came as quite a surprise.

A patchwork of recipes and prayers given, clipped, taped and written out in cursive, span decades of collecting and use in Grandma’s kitchen. Many recipes were amended with notes and revisions to improve them.

Her Final Days

In March of 2020, she told us she had pneumonia and the flu, and informed us that she “daren’t be near anyone.” She lost interest in food and coughed laboriously for months. She was fiercely independent and downright secretive, on this occasion in particular. 

Weeks went by until one afternoon she showed up unannounced. Her mother’s market basket was filled not with baked goods but with computer hard drives. (A bit of backstory, I kept a backup of my life’s photography work at her house, stored in a fireproof safe hidden in her disconnected dishwasher, a modern convenience she deemed inefficient and gratuitous.) 

Standing 10 feet away, unable to hug her, I knew what that meant. On a follow-up visit to the doctor for her “respiratory illness,” they discovered cancer elsewhere in her body. Since food no longer tasted the same, she was rapidly losing weight. Exhausted and stubborn, she accepted this would be her fate.

Rice pudding and cracker pudding are favorite desserts in my extended family. Numerous recipes for each have been taste-tested over the years.

In October of 2020, we shared one final phone call, eight-minutes short. I knew it would be our last. She was in a nursing home with extensive visitation restrictions due to COVID-19, so the phone was the best way to connect with her. Tired, she answered from a cordless phone with a weak battery. I prayed she and the phone would hold on just a minute longer. She asked me to pray that Jesus would accept her into heaven and take her soon. There was not a doubt in my mind that both were quickly approaching.

She passed away on Veteran’s Day 2020, a date that holds special meaning for me. My late grandfather was a veteran of the U.S. Navy, having served from 1942-1962. He passed in 2003, and researching his Navy history was how I dealt with my grandma’s failing health. With the help of a reunion website for the USS Kenneth D. Bailey DDR-713, I made contact with one of his shipmates, Chief Ernie Pina. I mentioned him to Grandma when she was still at home and she brought out letters that Ernie had sent to my grandpa years ago. Ernie lives in Massachusetts, and I hope to visit him this year. Maybe then I’ll be able to tell him that Grandma is gone.

Pat’s Favorite Recipes

At Grandma’s home in Gordonville, likely celebrating her birthday in the early 2000s.

Before Christmas of 2020, my Aunt Cindy gifted me with Grandma’s recipe notebooks. The two spiral-bound notebooks were filled with a patchwork of clippings of recipes and prayers that were taped, paper-clipped and written by hand with pen in her recognizable cursive. I couldn’t bring myself to look through them until this past Thanksgiving, after a friend shared her mother’s turkey stuffing recipe on a beautifully patinated notecard she had found in one of those aforementioned recipe boxes.

Grandma’s oldest notebook tells a story. Faded and yellowed, the pages are dusted with what feels like baking flour and dotted with drops of cooking oil and the occasional coffee stain. Pages in the dessert section are stuck together with red Jello. Referenced on her kitchen counter for decades, she revised recipes with different colored pens, scratching out items, adding to an oven duration here, maybe reducing the number of eggs needed there. Later, her amendments evolved to implement white-out and highlighters. A patchwork of recipe clippings from magazines, newspapers and food packaging is taped and paper-clipped to the lined pages of her notebook. Curiously, her notes are written in the first person, as though she recorded them with us in mind.

Paging through each journal, her mix of recipes feels both familiar and new. I remember her pecan crescent cookies, but not her Scottish shortbread and hermits (a cross between biscotti and gingerbread). Then there are baking suggestions which, being a baker with more luck than experience, stand out. A “Secret Baking Tip” suggests coating berries and fruit with flour to keep them from settling to the bottom of muffins. Another clipping mentions cooking rice in broth, stock or bouillon rather than water. That tip I already practice, but it adds another twist, cooking rice in fruit juice for “use with pork, poultry and desserts.”

Grandma served many dishes in Fire-King peach-lustre brosilicate-glass bowls, including an amended chili recipe. She preferred pinto beans and extra cayenne pepper for herself. Here, I made it with ground turkey.

Another layer of discovery comes in the form of her cited sources, some known, others unfamiliar. A recipe for baked macaroni-and-cheese mentions my cousin: “Jodi’s recipe from Grandma Stirk.” A recipe for Colorado Peach Cream Pie from Farm Woman News that’s older than I am, mentions someone I never heard of: “Miriam S. gave this recipe.” I got a laugh with a hand-written note atop one page, giving an obvious yet often overlooked reminder for hasty starters: “Read before making.”

It’s frustrating and curious finding numerous iterations of the same dish. Why anyone would need six recipes for cracker pudding is a mystery, but her notes sometimes leave hints in selecting the right one. “My kids like this the best” is written boldly on the recipe for “Good Rice Pudding (no eggs).” 

As with many recipes, there are multiple versions of the same prayer written throughout journals. A Morning Grace, Grace Before Meals, there’s a familiar amount of care and nervousness in getting them just right. These pages represent the grandmother I loved.

Let Food Be Your Language of Love

Only since my grandma’s passing have I realized my passion for sharing food stems from her expression of care and love through food. She couldn’t sit still and was always on the go, looking for tasty food throughout Lancaster County. Baked goods from Country Table in Mount Joy or Bird-in-Hand Bake Shop stand out among countless others. Sharing these treasures was one way she expressed love.

Donuts constituted what was arguably her favorite food group, and I don’t know how this is possible, but she had never had a Weiser’s donut before I offered her one. Returning in kind – offering her food to enjoy – was practically impossible, a gratuity to deny herself out of guilt. She would never let me make anything for her unless I said it was for me, so I learned to take one for the team. For a time she borrowed a small cast iron skillet that got her cooking a little more for herself. And, those late phone calls talking about how to make anything from chili to getting the junket to set, those meant the world to me.

February

Patricia Yvonne Mummaw was born on February 6, 1939. She was the mother of three children and two more she’d meet in heaven. She was the grandma of three grandchildren, had two great-grandsons, and was known as “Aunt Pat” to many more. This February, I ask that you take a Saturday morning to make a family recipe with someone you love. Even though written recipes often lack fine details and personal touches, I promise you’ll both remember the occasion. Or, if you find yourself in need of an outing, treat yourself and a loved one to breakfast at a local diner. Just make sure to add extra sugar to the coffee.

Yours truly photographed by my grandma in her Mount Joy kitchen in 1989.

More Than Chocolate

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 Valentine’s Day is all about chocolate. But what happens if your significant other dislikes the “most popular sweet treat” in the world? Options do exist! 

Sweetish

Love and chocolate – the connection goes well beyond our modern affixation to February 14, Valentine’s Day. In the 5th century B.C., when a mere 100 million people were estimated to inhabit the Earth, the Mayan people were roasting cacao beans and grinding them into a paste mixed with chiles and cornmeal. This base was turned into a warm drink, which we may associate with hot chocolate today. 

Chocolate also became a ceremonial staple, playing important roles at weddings and religious rituals. 

Aztec Emperor Montezuma II was said to consume mass amounts of chocolate to increase his libido, something science would later connect with small amounts of tryptophan and phenylethylamine found in the tasty product. Chocolate was forever bonded with love.

Europeans embraced drinking chocolate in the 1600s, and “eating chocolates” was marketed to those celebrating St. Valentine’s Day by British confectioner Richard Cadbury, who introduced the world to chocolate-filled, heart-shaped boxes in 1868. 

Alas, not everyone loves chocolate. I set out to find some ways to satisfy the sweet tooth of love by visiting a few Lancaster County sweet spots and exploring their non-chocolate options.

Sweetish

Sweetish

My personal favorite go-to place for filling my own stash of candy is Sweetish on the 300 block of North Queen Street. There are two reasons why that is so. One, I have an affinity for all things northern European. And two, I love black licorice.

Sweetish is a play on Swedish, as the primary source for the candy in the bins adorning the wall is the Scandinavian country. It’s not all Swedish Fish, either. A variety of gummy candy can be found for all ages, interests and tastes. Here, you’ll find candy bars from Iceland, and a selection of drinks from Swedish cola-maker Apotekarnes and others. There’s also a big selection of vegan candy. Some new arrivals to check out include Läkerol Dents (a chewy, caramel mint), Yoghurt Jordnötcluster (yogurt peanut clusters), and potato chips from Swedish maker Gotlandschips.

356 N. Queen St.
Sweetishcandy.com 

The Candy Stand at Lancaster Central Market

The Candy Stand

When I was a kid roaming the aisles of Lancaster Central Market, I always tugged my mother’s sleeve when we approached The Candy Stand. Things were a lot bigger to me then, so the stand I remember encompassed much of the entire market …
or, so it seemed. 

Today, The Candy Stand is owned and operated by Ann and Richard Miller, and it remains a colossus of candy. What I like about this modern-day stand are the throwback items like rainbow coconut strips, clear candy toy pops and spearmint leaves. The cash-only stand also offers everything for younger sweet tooths, including gummy dinos, sour bottle pops and Airheads Xtremes. If you’re in a hurry or are just adventurous, pick up a $1 grab bag.

Speaking of Central Market, there’s a stand that can provide you with a treat for your other Valentine – your furry BFF. Owned by Lindsay and Joshua Gring, Lancaster Pet Bakery offers treats that are made with fresh, “human-grade ingredients.” 

23 N. Market St.
Centralmarketlancaster.com 

Bistro Barberet & Bakery 

Bistro Barberet & Bakery

For those who want a delicate and refined gift, Bistro Barberet & Bakery is a shining example of confectionary elegance. After moving to Lancaster in 2015, Chef Cedric Barberet and his wife, Estelle, opened the namesake eatery and bakery and became an immediate force in the city’s culinary scene. 

In November 2019, Cedric won the Neapolitan Delight edition of Food Network’s Chopped Sweets, so he knows what he’s doing when it comes to desserts! Some of the wonderful, chocolate-free specialty items available at Barberet include cream puffs filled with either vanilla or pistachio cream; Ruby, a raspberry mousse with a key lime center on top of yellow sponge cake; and Success, a hazelnut dacquoise with praline cream. A selection of stunning Les Macarons Parisiens include such flavors as raspberry, lemon, coffee, strawberry, pistachio, vanilla and lavender.

26 E. King St.
Barberetlancaster.com 

Weaver Nut Sweets & Snacks

Weaver Nut Sweets & Snacks

Like the phoenix, Weaver Nut’s retail store has returned to prosperity after an explosion ripped through the company’s Ephrata facility in August. Not too long after the blaze summoned a response from 50 regional fire companies, the storefront returned to business while the warehouse underwent rebuilding. The life-size – uhm, well, human-size – Jelly Belly jelly bean mascot sits happily outside welcoming visitors.

Inside, shoppers can find everything from homemade vanilla opera fudge to a 50-pound sack of Spanish blue poppy seeds, although the latter will probably not sit well on Valentine’s Day unless your beloved has wings and a beak … or really likes to bake. For the sweet-toothed sweetie, Weaver’s offers a huge selection of bulk candies, including licorice whips and gummy worms, as well as cute displays of nostalgic candies and gift ideas.

Note:
It was recently announced that this location will be closing on February 14, 2022.

1925 W. Main St., Building B, Ephrata
Weavernutsweetsandsnacks.com

Uncle Leroy’s Candy Kitchen

Uncle Leroy’s Candy Kitchen

If fudge, brittles or caramel creations are your loved one’s desire, check out Uncle Leroy’s. My daughter loves their fudge, which is prepared by mixing ingredients in a traditional copper kettle after which the finished product is poured onto a marble slab and worked into loaves. Popular, non-chocolate flavors include vanilla, peanut butter and maple pecan. People also like the brittle from Uncle Leroy’s, which comes in traditional peanut, cashew and pecan/coconut. They also make a bacon brittle for the savory lovers out there!

I’m most familiar with the Old Philadelphia Pike location, but Uncle Leroy’s can also be found at Lancaster Central Market and Bird-in-Hand Farmers Market.

2195B Old Philadelphia Pike
Uncleleroys.com

River Street Sweets Savannah’s Candy Kitchen

River Street Sweets Savannah’s Candy Kitchen

This national chain of sweet shops has a location in the Tanger Outlets on Route 30. The biggest plus about this store is that the shelves are always well-stocked with everything from old-time candy to the newest craze. With the option of buying hard candy by the pound from a dizzying array of colored tubes climbing to the ceiling, this store is just as much fun to visit as it is to find the perfect gift of candy. Runts, Sprees, Skittles and everything in between, River Street Sweets is a hard-candy lover’s dream. Anyone still like Jordan Almonds? They have those! 

But hard candy is not River Street Sweets’ specialty – that honor is reserved for their “world-famous pralines.” In the U.S., pralines are mostly associated with New Orleans and other southern hotspots. River Street Sweets’ buttery pralines are made fresh daily – you can smell them from outside – using cream, butter, sugar and Georgia pecans.

311 Stanley K. Tanger Dr., Suite 1250
Riverstreetsweets.com  

The Renovated Southern Market is Opening!

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An exciting new dining experience is opening in Downtown Lancaster! The Southern Market, which was renovated and transformed into a multicultural food hall, will open to the public on January 27 at 4 p.m. Southern Market features a central bar, called Bar 1888, and a variety of food vendors. Bar 1888 acts as the centerpiece in the market and will be tended by well-known Lancaster mixologist Stephen Wood, who previously worked at The Pressroom, John J. Jeffries and Hunger-N-Thirst. Thirty people can fit around the bar while surrounding tables can accommodate up to 220. In addition to the food hall, the market will serve as a community hub, featuring offices, meeting rooms and other community spaces. Following opening day, the market will be open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, 12-9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 12-10 p.m.

Nurturing Up-and-Coming Chefs

One of the main goals of the food hall is to become an incubator for up-and-coming local chefs who create cuisine that is globally inspired and locally sourced. Southern Market hopes to be a starting point for chefs to gain experience, training and support that may allow them to open their own restaurant or catering business in the future. When an existing chef feels ready to move on to a new venture, another up-and-coming chef can take their place at the market. Willow Valley Communities, the developer and operator of Southern Market, partnered with Lancaster Equity on this project to promote the nonprofit’s mission of creating a “community where everyone has an opportunity to thrive.” ASSETS will also be involved to provide start-up support and industry-specific training.

Diverse Choices

Food options run the gamut from coffee and baked goods to Asian and African cuisine to Southern soul food and more. Vendors include:

  • Brittnie Jones prepares decadent desserts, specialty cakes, pies and seasonal treats at her stand called Savoy Truffle Cakes.
  • Eddy Rodriguez, who owns 4E’s Latin Cuisine, draws inspiration from the rich, vivid flavors of his native Dominican Republic for his menu.
  • At Lauren Wyrick’s stand, Made by Lolo, she curates creative tapas-style interpretations of seafood, meat and salads.
  • Flavors of Morocco, owned by Bushra Fakier, offers authentic Moroccan food prepared with an Indian influence.
  • Jonathan “JP” Forbes creates classic Southern soul food at his stand, ‘X’ Marks the Spot.
  • Get your coffee fix at Jessie Tuno’s Butter and Bean, which also offers baked goods and pastries.
  • Anh Tren, Minh Nguyen and Davaun Dorsey prepare Vietnamese selections at Pho Life.
  • Chef Mahmoud, who owns Laylai El Shem, offers Middle Eastern cuisine.
  • Pizzeria 211, owned by Matt Schultz, will occupy one of the retail spaces in the front of the market.

Revitalizing the Corner of Queen & Vine

Designed by famous local architect C. Emlen Urban, the Southern Market was built in 1888. The building served as a farmers market until it closed in the late 1980s and was then used as a space for city affairs and meetings. The renovation included installing updated mechanical systems, repointing brickwork and creating an all-new interior.

The market renovation coincides with another project Willow Valley Communities is spearheading across the street on the northwest corner of Queen and Vine. In an effort to expand their campus into the city, Willow Valley Communities proposed a 55-and-over, 20-story apartment building called Mosaic. The 147-unit building will be the tallest structure in Lancaster County and is set to open in fall 2025.

 

Southern Market is located at 100 South Queen Street, Lancaster. For more information, visit southernmarketlancaster.com or on Facebook.

Wedding Wonderland

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Megan FitzGerald and Tommy Mandala • July 24, 2021

After departing the island where the ceremony took place, Megan and Tommy made their way down the aisle to the applause of their 270 guests.

Megan FitzGerald and Tommy Mandala were set to get married in the summer of 2020. Covid restrictions changed all of that. After postponing their plans, the two then entrusted their future to fate and faith, believing that the wedding of their dreams would eventually become reality.   

Fate actually began working its magic six years ago, when Megan’s parents, Tracy and Brian FitzGerald, took a walk through their neighborhood and noticed a house for sale. Curious about the price, Tracy tried to google the property. Instead, information about another house popped up. No matter what she did, the mystery house kept appearing on her computer screen. Intrigued, she did more research.  

Megan with her attendants, who wore champagne-hued dresses that varied in style.

The mystery house turned out to be a nearby home that was built by the late Earl Clark, the founder of Dutch Wonderland, and his wife, Molly, in 1971. “It’s a special property,” Tracy says of the acreage that is bordered by Mill Creek. Like the theme park, the house built by the Clarks included many unique touches such as a foyer that resembles a miniature Versailles and a hidden “speakeasy” in the lower level. Outdoors, they installed an island in the middle of Mill Creek and added a pond to the backyard, as well as a swimming pool. 

The FitzGeralds, who were not looking to buy a house, nonetheless fell in love with the property and made an offer. They also became fast friends with Molly. “I think she was pulling for us to get the house,” Tracy says. 

Tommy and his groomsmen got ready for the wedding by lounging around the pool and playing billiards at the FitzGeralds’ home.

The property was special in another way – it was the scene of the weddings of the Clarks’ daughter and granddaughter, as well as the daughter of one of Molly’s best friends. When Molly, who now lives nearby, learned that the property would be the site of Megan and Tommy’s wedding, she arrived for a visit with wedding scrapbooks in hand. 

When Megan Met Tommy 

Megan and Tommy, who is from Staten Island, met on the first day of their sophomore year at the University of Delaware, where they were peer mentors for a leadership program for incoming freshmen. It was the beginning of a close friendship. 

In November, they attended a conference in Orlando, Florida, and realized their relationship was moving beyond friendship. In December 2013, after her last final, Tommy decided he wanted to make their relationship “official” and surprised Megan with a bouquet of flowers and a note that read: “If you still want to take a leap of faith with me, I’d love to.” 

During the First Look photo session, Megan presented Tommy with journals that chronicled the progression of their relationship.

Following graduation, the two maintained a long-distance relationship, as Tommy was working on his doctorate in physical therapy, while Megan was in the process of earning her master’s in speech-language pathology from Penn State. Upon completing her degree, she moved to New York, only to have Tommy decide to return to Delaware to do a residency in sports physical therapy. 

In July 2019, Tommy lured Megan back to Delaware under the guise of needing help to vacate his apartment. One day they strolled around campus and reminisced about college. When they arrived at the apartment where he had asked Megan to be his girlfriend, another bouquet awaited her. The note that was attached was short and sweet and simply said, “Will you marry me?” 

Megan and her attendants cross the bridge to the ceremony site. A month later, storms would cause serious damage to the bridge and bring flooding to the backyard.

Let the Planning Begin! 

Megan had always dreamed of an outdoor wedding. But, because she was employed by the New York City Department of Education, a mid-summer wedding would best fit her schedule. “I’ve been to so many outdoor weddings in July and August and have this memory of the weather being the major topic of conversation – and not in a good way,” she says of the East Coast’s notoriety for hot and humid conditions during the summer months. “I didn’t want that to happen with our wedding, so we decided to do a church wedding at St. Mary’s and hold the reception at the Penn Square Marriott.” Because so many guests would be coming from out of the area, Megan and Tommy viewed their plans as being convenient from a logistics standpoint. The date was set for August 1, 2020. 

A wall of flowers that exemplified summer decorated the Mill Creek island that served as the ceremony site.

Megan began shopping for a dress. She found exactly what she was looking for at POSH Bridal in Lancaster, but living in New York, she felt she had to experience the allure that is Kleinfeld’s. Not finding the dress of her dreams, her consultant began taking elements from dresses that Megan did like in order to meet her expectations. Megan said “Yes to the Dress,” only to realize that she had “designed” a dress that looked like the BECCAR gown she had seen at POSH. In the end, she canceled the Kleinfeld dress and returned to POSH. Megan’s wedding dress was a gift from her grandparents, Jay and June Reynolds.

Gowns were ordered for her attendants, as were tuxes for the groomsmen. An all-white color scheme was established and discussions about florals and linens commenced. Other vendors were lined up, as well. All there was to do now was wait for the big day to arrive when Megan and Tommy could celebrate with family and friends. 

Brian FitzGerald walked his daughter down the aisle and to the bridge where Tommy awaited Megan’s arrival. The headpiece Megan wore represented “something old” as it was worn by both her grandmother and mother.

Making a Pivot 

Of course, we all know what transpired in early 2020. Covid arrived. Megan describes living in New York as “surreal.” Taking walks became a major source of entertainment and exercise. “Seeing Times Square empty was so odd,” she recalls. She and Tommy, who is a physical therapist and the founder of All in ACL, escaped to Lancaster as often as they could. 

Of course, they couldn’t help but worry about their wedding plans. Ongoing restrictions meant that the guest list would have to be drastically pared back. Megan would have to wear a mask for her walk down the aisle. Family members had concerns about traveling during Covid. “We had a lot going on and a lot to consider,” she explains. In the end, they decided it would be best to postpone the wedding until summer 2021. They were disappointed but resolute. 

Tracy was escorted down the aisle by her sons, Kevin and Joseph.

Despite putting their wedding on hold, Megan and Tommy held a celebration of sorts on August 1, 2020. Instead of trying to ignore what was supposed to be their wedding day, the two decided to spend the weekend with family in Fenwick Island, Delaware, and meet up with their photographer, Sarah (from Perigee Photo Co.), for a sunrise photo shoot on the beach. “I found Sarah through Instagram,” Megan explains. “I loved that her photographs were very artistic, organic and natural. Sarah made it a fun morning – we loved the pictures,” Megan says of commemorating what was supposed to be their wedding day.  

Peter Emr, a deacon in the Catholic Church, served as the officiant for the ceremony. Because of Covid, dispensations were given that allowed for Catholic ceremonies to be conducted outside of a church building.

As 2020 transitioned to 2021, things remained in limbo. “As of February [2021], nothing had changed at the Marriott,” Megan says of Covid restrictions on room capacities. The couple then decided perhaps another pivot was in order and began to look at properties that offer outdoor options. “They had capacity restrictions, too,” she recalls.

Then, during a late-winter vacation in Tampa, Florida, Megan and Tracy came up with a Hail Mary-style plan – the wedding could be held in the FitzGeralds’ backyard; their home sits on more than six acres, which would provide plenty of social distancing space for nearly 300 guests. 

Megan and Tommy pose for pictures in front of her parents’ home. The two honeymooned in Sicily and Malta.

Let the Planning Begin … Again! 

Megan and Tommy loved the idea. “It immediately felt very personal. It felt like us!” Megan explains. A new date was chosen: July 24, 2021. It was as if the stars aligned! The Clarks had built the house 50 years ago in 1971, and Tracy and Brian were celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary in 2021. 

A large contingent of FitzGeralds arrived from the Midwest for the wedding.

With five months to alter plans and recruit more vendors – namely a caterer and a tent supplier – Tracy says revamping Megan and Tommy’s wedding became an “all-hands-on-deck” effort. “We decided to tackle any and all home-improvement projects we had planned for the next 10 years and get them done [before the wedding],” she says, still wondering how it was all accomplished. 

Tracy, who’s a realtor, and Brian, who is the vice president at Jay R. Reynolds, Inc. (a mechanicals contractor in Willow Street), spent all their spare time working on the wedding plans and sprucing up the new backyard venue. Megan’s younger brothers, Kevin and Joe, aided their parents’ efforts and endured plenty of wedding talk. The FitzGeralds called on numerous tradespeople they knew in order to get the projects accomplished. “One day I came home and seven trucks were in the driveway,” Tracy notes. “We were in full wedding mode!” 

Megan and Tommy pose with their parents, Tracy and Brian FitzGerald (right) and Vincent and Joan Mandala (left).

Tracy even found herself begging for help at one point. “I discovered the road in front of the house was supposed to be paved the week of the wedding, so I called the roadmaster and asked him to please not pave that week,” Tracy recalls of averting a disaster. “Thankfully, he agreed to it.” 

There was still one very big hurdle that needed to be cleared. Megan and Tommy wanted to be married in a Catholic ceremony, which is typically conducted inside a church. From the time she was a young girl, Megan always knew that would be a deterrent to being married outdoors. 

Tracy and Brian with special guests, Molly Clark and Guy Eshelman. In 1971, Molly and her late husband, Earl Clark, built the home in which the FitzGeralds now live.

It just so happened that because of Covid, special dispensations were being given that allowed for marriage ceremonies to be conducted outside a church. In this case, Peter Emr, a family relative who is a deacon in a Catholic church in New Jersey, performed the ceremony. 

Tracy points to Ephesians 3:20 for all the blessings they received: “God can do far more than you can ever imagine, guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us.”

Sentimental Journey

The FitzGerald and Mandala clans were excited that members of their extended families would finally be meeting each other. For example, 40 members of Brian’s family would be traveling to Lancaster from Kansas City. “He’s one of nine children,” Tracy explains. An equally large contingent of Mandala family and friends would be coming from New York. The couple’s college friends would be arriving from all over the country. “Our guests showed up for us when we postponed, when we replanned and then in full force on our wedding day,” Megan remarks. 

Guests were welcomed to the wedding at the front entrance to the house, where a gallery of wedding photos from both families were on display and refreshments were provided.

“We wanted it to be a wonderful wedding,” Tracy explains. “We wanted everyone to feel the love, live in the moment and enjoy our home here in Lancaster.” Megan and Tommy, who wanted their wedding to feel “warm, vibrant and joyful,” made their intentions clear in the invitations and on their website: the dress code was wear what makes you comfortable, hence guests wore everything from black tie and cocktail dresses to shorts and sundresses. That sentiment applied to Tommy and his groomsmen: they went from wearing tuxedos to more casual blue suits. 

As for Megan, her wedding-day look definitely drew from the custom of wearing “something old.” In her case, it was the veil/headpiece that had been worn by her grandmother, June Reynolds, and then by her mother. 

Entertainment included yard games such as corn hole.

The cake also added to the sentiments of the day. It was from Staten Island’s Alfonso Pastry Shoppe, whose owners are friends of the Mandala family. “It was their gift to us,” Megan says. 

There was also a very special guest at the wedding – Molly Clark was on hand to witness the fourth wedding take place at her previous home. 

It Takes a Village 

Knowing they would need help in having things go smoothly on the day of the wedding, Tracy and Megan recruited Planned Perfection to serve as the wedding planner and day-of coordinator. “Danielle Boyer was great and provided the calming effect that we appreciated,” says Tracy. 

Finding a tent was also a priority. “Because of Covid, we wanted to find the largest one available,” notes Tracy. A dance floor was also a necessity. Hess Tent Rentals provided the largest one they ever put inside a tent: 28-by-28 feet. “There were so many people dancing that we could have used a larger one!” Megan shares. Another tent was secured for the catering firm, The JDK Group. They built an entire on-site kitchen. “We received many compliments about the hor d’oeuvres and the dinner,” Tracy reports. 

Petals With Style helped Megan make the transition from a white color scheme to one that featured summery tones via florals (and table linens) that, in Megan’s estimation, “beautifully complemented the deep greens of summer.” That was especially evident with the wall of flowers that brought a pop of color to the island, where the ceremony was conducted. 

Tommy and Megan survey the tent from the dance floor ahead of the reception. Their first dance was to Shelter From the Storm by Bob Dylan.

As guests arrived – many via motor coaches that were contracted to provide transportation between the city and the FitzGeralds’ home – they were greeted at the main entrance to the house with refreshments and a display of wedding portraits from the two families. After signing the guest book, they made their way to the backyard and the seating area that was located beneath towering cypress trees and provided a stellar view of the island, where the 5 p.m. ceremony would take place. After the ceremony, cocktail hour was held along the banks of Mill Creek. Yard games, such as corn hole, dotted the landscape. Then, it was on to the tent for dinner and dancing. Guests could also enjoy a bonfire in a wooded lounge area that was illuminated by twinkle lights. 

The wall of flowers was removed from the ceremony site and repurposed to frame the couple’s sweetheart table at the reception.

Favorite Memories 

Megan and Tommy’s First Look photography captured the bride presenting the groom with a special gift. Megan, who had journaled about their relationship from the beginning, presented the journals to him and read aloud a letter she had written to him in 2015. Tears were shed! 

The tent was aglow with light from candles and patio lights.

They’ll also remember the speeches Megan’s father, her maid of honor (Mae Ledva) and Tommy’s best man (James Mandala) made in their honor. “They were phenomenal!” Megan says. 

Finally, she will always remember the party wrapping up with the song, Shout. “Everyone was dancing! I remember looking into all the faces of our closest family members and friends and feeling so beyond loved and supported,” she shares.

Each layer of the cake featured a different flavor. The cake was a gift from Alfonso’s Pastry Shoppe, whose owners are Mandala family friends. As fate would have it, Alfonso’s was celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Then, following an after-party around the FitzGeralds’ pool, the newlyweds departed for Downtown Lancaster at 12:45 a.m. for last call at Tellus360 and socializing with guests at the Marriott. The whole wedding party, with Megan still in her gown and Tommy with his shirt half off, received lots of cheers as they walked around downtown. Megan and Tommy finally called it a day at 5 a.m. “I’d been up for 24 hours!” Megan says. “But, I didn’t want the day to end!” 

And, yes, guests did talk about the weather. As fate and faith would have it, the temperature on July 24 was in the low 80s and there was no trace of humidity. “It was a dream come true!” Megan says.

June Reynolds helped her granddaughter get ready for her big day.
The beautiful weather allowed guests to enjoy the outdoor areas that were set up for socializing.

Credits 

Note: All vendors are based in Lancaster, unless otherwise noted

Photographer: Perigee Photo Co. (Harrisburg), perigeephotoco.com 

Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Danielle Boyer, Planned Perfection 

Bridal Gown: POSH Bridal 

Attendants’ Gowns: Online from Show Me Your Mumu

Groom/Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Wearhouse 

Hair/Makeup: Envy Salon 

Floral Design: Petals With Style 

Catering/Linens: The JDK Group 

Cake: Alfonso’s Pastry Shoppe (Staten Island) 

Band: The Bachelor Boys (Washington, D.C.) 

Tents: Hess Tent Rental 

Landscaping/Yard Care: Clean Cut Landscape Design

Container Gardens: Tracy FitzGerald 

Rehearsal Dinner: Yorgos Restaurant & Lounge

Two Times the Love

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Ashley Goss and Matthew Bushong
October 31, 2020 and October 31, 2021 

Matthew Bushong and Ashley Goss were married on October 31, 2020, at the home of her parents and hosted their wedding/anniversary reception a year later on October 31, 2021. Because they love the city, many of their photos – from both dates – utilized scenic and historic backdrops. For example, this shot was taken at the Shreiner-Concord Cemetery, which is located at the corner of Mulberry and Chestnut streets.

“Covid changed our plans quite a bit,” says Ashley Goss. “We knew we couldn’t have the large wedding we had originally envisioned, unless we wanted to delay it further. We weighed our options and decided we couldn’t wait any longer to officially tie the knot,” she says, referring to her and Matthew’s 10-year-long relationship. A celebratory reception would have to wait. 

When Ashley Met Matthew

Ashley, who is a branch manager for Lanco Federal Credit Union, met Matthew at a party some co-workers were having to mark the end of summer. Matthew, who is a children’s library assistant at Lancaster Public Library, had tagged along with Reid Cummins, one of Ashley’s friends and co-workers. “That was 10 years ago,” she says. 

Matthew and Ashley re-enact his proposal that was delivered atop a city parking garage on a snowy day in 2018.

The two discovered they shared a wide range of interests, including a love of snow days. “One of our favorite things to do on a snowy day is to explore the cold, quiet, snow-filled city,” she explains. On a snowy day in March 2018, Ashley and Matthew went for a walk that ended atop the Penn Square Parking Garage. That’s where Matthew proposed. “It was a perfectly romantic moment that ended in an amusing snowball fight,” she recalls. 

Not wanting to rush into things, the two decided they would take their time in planning their wedding. Finally, after a few months, they shared the news of their engagement with family and friends, announcing the wedding would be held at Mulberry Art Studios on October 31, 2020. They lined up their vendors and waited for their big day to arrive. 

“Little did we know that Covid would cause our plans to change quite a bit,” Ashley says. 

Despite not having a reception in 2020, the two danced along West Chestnut Street.

Pivot Time 

As 2020 progressed, it became obvious to Ashley and Matthew they would need to alter their plans. “We contacted our vendors to determine what would happen with our contracts,” Ashley explains. “Fortunately, they all basically gave us the ability to cancel the contracts or reschedule.” Ashley and Matthew considered their options and decided to get married on October 31, 2020, and postpone their reception to October 31, 2021. “We really wanted to get married and we really wanted to have the opportunity to celebrate with our friends and family once Covid settled down, so we planned a ceremony for 2020 and a reception for 2021,” she explains.  

Ashley and Matthew exchanged vows through conducting a self-uniting ceremony that is permissible in Pennsylvania. Such ceremonies are often referred to as “Quaker weddings.”

Their new plan called for moving the ceremony and a small family gathering to the home of Ashley’s parents, Marcia and Robert Goss, who reside in Conestoga. The festivities were livestreamed via Twitch to family and friends who could not attend in person. The couple also announced that a wedding celebration would be held at Mulberry Art Studios on October 31, 2021. 

Halloween? Think Again 

In Mexico and other Central American countries, October 31 through November 2 is celebrated as Día de los Muertos. Many mistakenly assume it’s the Mexican version of Halloween. Instead, it’s a holiday that pays homage to those who have passed from the Earth. 

The rituals connected to Día de los Muertos date back thousands of years, predating the Aztec and Mayan civilizations. The Aztecs, for example, believed that death was a process through which the deceased must travel though nine challenging levels before their souls reached Mictlān, or the final resting place. Loved ones would help the departed reach their final destinations by providing them with food, water and other necessities during Nahua ceremonies that were held each August. 

Centuries later, the arrival of Catholicism and the influence of Spanish culture combined with the ancient rituals to create Día de los Muertos, which coincides with two Catholic observances, All Saints’ Day (November 1) and All Souls’ Day (November 2). Because of the growing Mexican and Latino populations in the United States, Día de los Muertos has become a part of American culture in places like Texas, the Southwest and California. 

Matthew’s Mexican heritage prompted the couple to embrace the tradition of celebrating Día de los Muertos as the theme of their 2020 wedding and 2021 reception. Their ofrenda (altar) paid tribute to family members and friends who have passed away.
Matthew and Ashley included a First Look moment on their October 31, 2020, wedding day.
Ahead of their wedding ceremony, Ashley and Matthew visited Lancaster Central Market, where they composed a bridal bouquet with help from Central Market Flowers.
Family friend, Holly Palacios, created a cake for the 2020 wedding that complemented the color scheme and evoked Matthew’s Mexican roots.
Guests who witnessed Ashley and Matthew exchange their wedding vows included their dog, Pablo.

While Día de los Muertos shares similarities with Halloween, it remains rooted in ancient beliefs that hold that beginning at midnight on October 31 and continuing through November 2, the border between the spirit world and the living world dissolves, allowing the departed to reawaken and return to their loved ones (children on November 1 and adults on November 2) for 24-hour periods. 

The ritual of welcoming back the dead takes place in cemeteries – where graves are laden with food and drink, candles and flowers – and in homes, where altars (or ofrendas) are filled with photos, food, candles and other mementoes of the departed. Marigolds create colorful paths through cemeteries – it is believed the dead rely on their color and scent to lead them home. 

Skulls and skeletons – some exhibiting vibrant colors – are part of the costumes and parades that accompany the event. Monarch butterflies, which are believed to hold the spirits of the dead, also play a role, as their return to Mexico typically begins on November 1.   

Ashley and Matthew invited their attendants and groomsmen to choose their own attire for the reception. In the case of Ashley’s female attendants, each was assigned a color.

The October 31, 2021, reception, held at Mulberry Art Studios, included elements that were missing from their 2020 wedding day, including attendants for Ashley, groomsmen for Matthew, dinner and dancing. Carryovers from 2020 included the color scheme and the Día de los Muertos theme.
Ashley and Matthew have embraced Día de los Muertos because of Matthew’s Mexican roots. The two erect an ofrenda in their home and, because of the state of the world, thought it would be a meaningful gesture to incorporate the concept of remembering the deceased into their October 31 wedding. “We both love that the holiday represents a time to remember those loved ones who have passed and take the time to celebrate them even though they are no longer with us,” notes Ashley. 

The holiday provided Ashley and Matthew with a canvas for designing the look of their wedding. The color scheme took its inspiration from the vibrant color palette that accompanies Día de los Muertos. Warm tones of gold, yellow and orange were paired with shades of purple, maroon and red through florals such as marigolds and chrysanthemums and even fallen leaves. Ashley’s dress and shawl reflected Día de los Muertos’ colorful backdrop.  

Ashley’s bouquet tied into her and Matthew’s love for exploring the city, which was commemorated with a pre-wedding photo shoot with their photographer, Margarita Stamatelopoulos, who was a classmate of Matthew’s at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. “We thought that rather than have a bouquet made for me, why not create one at Lancaster Central Market and have Margarita photograph the event,” Ashley explains. The two turned to Central Market Flowers for help and loved the results. “The photos Margarita took of us picking out the flowers are some of my favorites from the whole day!” Ashley reports. 

Ashley and Matthew utilized the same theme for their October 31, 2021, reception (in the industry, such events are being referred to as anniversary receptions), which included a video of the festivities from 2020. 

For their official first dance, the couple chose to dance to Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time.

The Unique Factor

Upon returning to her parents’ home from the photo shoot, Ashley and Matthew performed a self-uniting ceremony. “Only certain states allow such ceremonies,” she explains. “Because of the state’s strong Quaker heritage, Pennsylvania is one of them. In fact, they are often referred to as ‘Quaker weddings.’” She goes on to explain that such a ceremony entails the bride and groom announcing their love for one another and their intention to marry. Such a ceremony must be conducted in front of at least two witnesses. The witnesses are afforded the opportunity to “speak their peace” and offer their support or objections. Once the couple and the witnesses sign the marriage contract, the union is declared official. 

A year after their wedding, Ashley and Matthew held a wedding/anniversary reception at Mulberry Art Studios in Lancaster.

Ashley and Matthew did practice their vows beforehand. “The first time we shared our vows, it was in private. I’m so glad we did because I bawled,” Ashley recalls. “They were happy tears but Matthew wasn’t so sure at first. I would not have wanted my friends and family to see those reactions!” Practicing their vows together provided Ashley and Matthew with the confidence that what they had written was on the right track. “I believe we both made a few edits,” she reports. 

Favorite Memory 

Ashley and Matthew have several, including the fact that despite hosting a very small wedding, it had some large ramifications. “I adore that we were able to vote [they dropped off their ballots at the courthouse], marry ourselves and celebrate my birthday [Halloween] and Día de los Muertos all in the same day!” says Ashley, noting that October 31 has gained another reason for celebration – their wedding anniversary – in the Goss-Bushong household. 

Despite having to forgo a large wedding – for the time being – Ashley discovered a small wedding can be just as meaningful. “Being able to spend the day with our families and close friends in the familiar setting of my parents’ house and being able to share that intimate moment of uniting ourselves in marriage with them and those watching via Twitch was very meaningful,” she says. 

Ashley and her parents, Robert and Marcia Goss.
Matthew and his parents, Matt Bushong and Irma Bushong, who lives in Edinburg, Texas, and was unable to attend the 2020 event.
Courtney Wooters’ cupcakes complemented the reception’s color scheme.
A Día de los Muertos ofrenda (altar) paid homage to family members who are deceased. As is typical, the ofrenda included photos and food (skull-shaped cookies) that welcomes the deceased back during the period, October 31-November 2.
Colorful skulls that are associated with Día do los Muertos celebrations served as decorations for the reception.

However, the larger reception did have its rewards. “It was so nice to finally get to do our first dance,” she says. 

One aspect of the wedding is still on hold. Their honeymoon! The two snow lovers want to experience Quebec’s Winter Carnival, which is held the first two weeks of February. Now that the Canadian border is open again, they are making honeymoon plans!   

Credits 

October 31, 2020 and 2021

Photographer: Margarita Photography, Baltimore
(margarita-photography.com) 

Videographer: Rob Goss, Goose Media, Philadelphia 

Groom’s Suit: Online from StudioSuits.com 

Florals: Central Market Flowers

Makeup: Oui Cosmetics & Glam Studio, Pittsburgh 

October 31, 2020 

Bridal Gown: Online from torrid.com 

Hair: Luxe Salon & Spa 

Caterer: Lancaster Dispensing Company 

Cake: Holly Palacios 

October 31, 2021 

Bridal Gown: Online from Azazie.com 

Hair: Ego Trip Hair Salon 

Venue: Mulberry Art Studios 

Catering: Catering by John Lowe 

Cupcakes: That Awesome Little Bakery/Courtney Wooters

DJ: Jim Marlin 

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